Riot Games announced that in 2024, they would begin to enshrine the greatest players in League of Legends history, in and outside the game, into the newly created Hall of Legends. The first inductee this year, according to Riot Games, will be “independent voting panel of esports industry veterans and experts from every region to vote and select our very first inductee.” With so many great players across so many leagues, there are many arguments to be had about who should be in. This tier list, however, hopes to settle all of those arguments. For the LPL, I had to enlist the help of my good friend and LPL expert JJ Fonseca to properly encapsulate the entire of league’s history, players and legacy. This article is as much his as mine.
Greatest of All Time – Classic Tier: Gogoing, Misaya, WeiXiao
When it comes to the LPL, the league’s early greats need to be recognized in the Hall of Legends. Gogoing was the original standard for LPL top laners before the modern era. Among the former OMG star’s top ten most played champions, none of them sit below a 50% win rate. While his 2014 Worlds run did not end in victory, he was inducted into the LPL Hall of Fame in 2022. as part of its second class.
Alongside him in that class was Miyasa, From the midlane, he was a contender for the midlane throne in a pre-Faker era and was the best Chinese midlaner before Knight. While his signature Twisted Fate had an unmatched unbeaten street, he could play assassins and mages equally.
No conversation about the LPL can be had without talking about the “Chinese ADC.” Before Uzi, there was WeiXiao. He set the roots for what the LPL ADC would become and produced international results in the game’s early stages,
Greatest of All Time – Modern Tier: TheShy, Clearlove, Rookie, Meiko, Uzi
While they may not be Chinese by birth, TheShy and Rookie will be remembered forever for their success, both together and apart, in China. The two are inextricably linked forever for their time on Invictus Gaming where they claimed the 2018 World Championship. However, both players’ peaks are alongside the highest in LoL Esports history. Yet, both still dominate to this day. When they retire, they will be instant locks.
Alongside the iG duo, there is the legendary EDG duo of Clearlove and Meiko. While they never claimed a world title together, they won five LPL titles together. Clearlove was the definitive Chinese jungler and EDG’s franchise player. He dominated on the rift, producing the highest KDA in every season during that run. Meiko, meanwhile, is still at the top of his game. He continues to build his legacy as the gold standard of LPL support players. Unlike Clearlove, he managed to stick around long enough to finally claim another LPL title and that elusive World Championship in 2021.
Lastly, there is the undeniable Uzi. The Chinese legend is the greatest player to never claim World Championship and it is still on his mind. After being retired for two years, Uzi returned to pro play with BLG and now with EDG this year. Yet, everyone will remember him for his time on RNG. The constant bridesmaid is one of the greatest pure mechanical talents in LoL Esports history, especially at the ADC position. He did enough to be one of the key villains in a Worlds song music video, that alone is a sign of greatness. He will be in the Hall of Legends.
Should Get In – Classic Tier: PDD, Loveling, Cool
In the early stages of League, PDD was one of the signature top laners during his time on iG. However, his greatest contribution may be his work as a coach and scout. Under the Young Miracles banner, he scouted talented players like Ming, Ning, Knight, Wei and Tian, among others. All of this combined landed him in the LPL Hall of Fame in 2021.
Despite role swapping often between jungle and support, Loveling he was amazing at both and one of the LPL’s great IGLs with OMG. He took over the map, in traditional LCK style, but still had the psychotic LPL approach to taking over, leading to a dangerous calculated aggression.
The beating heart of the legendary 2014 OMG squad was Cool. From the end of 2012 to the end of 2016 , when he left OMG, Cool was a menace in the mid lane, and many saw him as the spiritual successor to Misaya. While his level of dominance in the mid lane never reached Misaya’s, Cool stands to this day as OMG’s most iconic player.
Should Get In – Modern Tier: Knight, Xiaohu, Scout, Jackeylove, Imp, Crisp
The trio of modern mid laners, outside of Rookie, that continue to define the modern LPL are Knight, Xiaohu and Scout. Knight is the defining Chinese-born mid laner today with three LPL titles and an MSI title. When it comes to imports, Scout left the shadow of Faker to help EDG earn their first world championship. The secret threat to climb up a tier is Xiaohu. He not only won MSI titles in both top lane and mid lane, but also has five LPL titles. The sky remains the limit for this trio in their journey to the Hall of Legends.
Despite his Worlds win with Samsung White, Imp‘s legacy will always be as one of the Chinese Koreans. During his time at LGD, he would consistently put on performance after performance. However, eventually people started thinking and saying he was washed, moving on to a mediocre Team WE, and eventually winding up at JDG, who were also a team labeled as mediocre. Yet, he still managed to remind the world that he still had talent through his run to the LPL Regional Finals.
Lastly, there is Crisp. After his world championship win with FPX in 2019, he stuck with the team through its highs and lows until 2022. Then, he spent 2022 with Bilibili Gaming before nearly returning to the mountaintop with Weibo at 2023 Worlds. Despite being paired with some flawed ADCs, Crisp has always managed to maximize the potential of his 2v2 matchups.
On The Doorstep – Modern Tier: Flandre, Tian, DoinB, Ming
This tier opens with a trio of world champions and a three-time MSI champion. For better or worse, Tian and DoinB will have their careers tied to each other forever, like Rookie and TheShy. Similarly, since winning their world championships, their performances have both vacillated. Tian, however, has remained closer to the top of the game than DoinB has since that event. With MSI 2024 presenting Tian with another opportunity to claim a crown, a win would continue to grow his case.
Flandre, meanwhile, worked his way through the LPL till he got to and EDG team that won the World Championship back in 2021. With JGD, he can claim another title and cement himself as one of the best Chinese-born top laners ever with another win.
Lastly, there is Ming. Despite the three MSI titles and three domestic titles, Ming has never won that elusive world championship. With RNG heading the wrong direction record-wise, Ming’s future should be in question. If he never plays another match after this year though, he at least has a resume that will put him in the conversation.
On The Doorstep – Classic Tier: Mystic, SMLZ, NaMei, Zero
While Deft may be the first name that comes to mind regarding LCK ADCs in the LPL, Mystic is another name.. Mystic spent five, long, and very successful years in the LPL, playing for Team WE. While there was always in the title contention for best bot lane of the split. This was when the LPL had Deft and Meiko, Uzi and Cloud, Imp and Pyl and Kid and Kitties. He never peaked like the other players above him, likley leaving him on the doorstep of the Hall of Legends.
Alongside Mystic, there was Zero. Another Korean transplant, the KT Arrows founding member made his way to the LPL following a demotion. After a wild journey to get there, Zero found his peak with Team WE and Mystic. Together, they became one of the most iconic and long-lasting duos in LPL history.
A former lane partner of Zero, NaMei had a strange career. While always performing well and winning three domestic titles, he consistently found himself being replaced. He was not replaced by anyone, though: first by Deft, then by Uzi. Yet, his career remains memorable.
For a long time, SMLZ was Uzi’s rival in the LPL. Yet, he became the king who never received a crown. His time on a dilapidated OMG roster and an iconic Rogue Warriors lineup lead to no titles, despite his attempts to carry the game. For that, he lands here.
While some consider him one of the greatest LPL villains ever, FZZF was a member of the iconic team WE roster that fell painstakingly short at Worlds. He is another player who won multiple domestic titles, but never claimed the big one.
Fall just short: Ning, San
Ning was a MONSTER for the 2018 season. He joined Invictus Gaming in 2017, replacing Kid in the jungle, so literally coming in to replace one of IG’s biggest legends. Many were concerned but that quickly dissipated when they saw his performances. At Worlds that year, Ning truly showed up. He won Worlds in less than a year in the LPL, winning MVP of the grand finals. After that, though, he never matched that level of play.
Similar to Ning, San has a very successful but short career. He won three straight LPL splits, finished second in another, only to suddenly retire midway through 2015. His greatest achievement, also one of the wildest in LoL Esports history, is finishing a match versus Positive energy with a gold-per-minute average of 516. That is a lot of farming.
On their way: Tarzan, Kanavi, Bin, 369, Yagao
Image Courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff via Riot Games
If these players continue on their current trajectory, they should be in the Hall of Legends one day. Over the last few years, Tarzan and Kanavi have been some of the best LPL junglers. Kanavi needs to add more titles, while Tarzan needs to get one. Where he lands over the summer could be an interesting situation.
In the top lane, meanwhile, Bin and 369 sit as the class of the top lane at the moment. After his strong run to a second-place finish at 2020 Worlds, Bin immediately won spring split and MSI with RNG. However, he was immediately shipped to BLG. Since then, he and his carry picks have established his place in the Hall of Legends top lane cannon.
Meanwhile, 369 remains a global standard for what top laners can be. Not only does he possess a diverse champion pool, but he can also use it. With four domestic titles, an MSI win and two top-four finishes at worlds, it is only a matter of time till he gets another title.
At this point, Yagao feels underrated. Since his first LPL season in 2018, Yagao has only one year where he did not at least finish fourth in an LPL split. In fact, he has seven top-three finishes in the LPL, two of which were split wins. If he can keep collecting strong performances, he will continue to move up in the conversation.
Who from the history of the LPL do you think should be in the Hall of Legends?
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